Innovations

Latest California Healthline Stories

Search for a Snakebite Drug Might Lead to a COVID Treatment, Too

Human clinical trials are scheduled for a drug that could prevent some of the 100,000-plus deaths from snakebites worldwide each year. The same drug may also help people suffering from COVID-related acute respiratory distress.

New Dental Treatment Helps Fill Cavities and Insurance Gaps for Seniors

A new treatment for tooth decay is cheaper, quicker and less painful than getting a filling. Originally touted as a solution for kids, silver diamine fluoride is poised to become a game changer for treating cavities in older adults or those with disabilities that make oral care difficult.

Promising Greater Safety, A Tiny Widget Creates Chaos For Tube Feeders

A standard connector for feeding tubes was supposed to improve patient safety by preventing accidental misconnections to equipment used for IVs or other purposes. But critics say the design instead could keep patients from real food and inadvertently creates a host of new risks, including for vulnerable premature infants.

DIY Tech Gives People More Freedom In Managing Diabetes

People with diabetes say they’ve been waiting for years for better technology to manage their chronic condition. Tired of waiting, some tech-savvy, do-it-yourselfers are constructing their own devices using open-source programming instructions.